Webwire: Ofcom proposes consumer protections; FT buys Simyo

UK regulator Ofcom has proposed new rules aimed at protecting mobile subscribers from unexpected contract term or pricing changes. Under the planned regulations, customers would be free to cancel their contracts without penalty if their provider changes the deal mid-stream.

The US FTC has agreed to drop its probe into whether Google engages in anticompetitive search practices, after Google volunteered to allow companies to keep more content out of search results and to forego seeking injunctions on rivals' devices when patent agreements are in place.

India's Sistema Shyam Teleservices has pledged to continue operating after January 18, the date its 2G operating licenses are due to be cancelled following the court decision last year. Besides seeking to challenge the license cancellation in court, the company's licenses in the Rajasthan circle will not be revoked.

In another New Years' gaffe for Apple, a glitch in iOS's Do Not Disturb function prevented the setting – which blocks incoming calls and alerts for a preset time – from deactivating as scheduled after New Years' day.